Some rallyists saw the inevitable coming, but that doesn’t make it any more notablewhen it finally comes to reality. RoadRallyBoard Chair Jim Crittenden describes itthis way: “If you’ve ever run a RoadRallyand had to wait until the rally was overto find out how you did, imagine this:“You download an app to yoursmartphone before the rally begins and youlet the app run on your phone as you run therally, following the Route Instructions thattell you how to follow the rally course andthe proper average speeds. Suddenly youencounter a checkpoint. As you drive pastthe checkpoint, your phone records yourarrival time at the checkpoint, calculatesyour leg score, and displays it to you.

You continue ahead, following the RouteInstructions and searching for the nextcheckpoint. As you drive, your leg scores areautomatically uploaded to the rallymaster.”Crittenden explains that because of the“programming work of SCCA member RichBireta [the former RoadRally Board Chair]and his son David, all of this is now possible.”Crittenden, rallymaster and chairman forboth, points out the first two events fromMilwaukee Region brought this concept tothe RoadRally community. “The inauguralevent for this new, state-of-the-art rallytechnology was the Spring Scamper RegionalTour RoadRally in Madison, Wis., on April 7,”he says. “Thirty-five rally teams – half of themon their very first rally – used the CompetitorRichta GPS Checkpoint app as they ran the90-mile rally course through scenic Wisconsincountryside and attempted to arrive ontime at each of the 44 timing checkpoints.

Following the June 8 National RoadRally:“Next up with the Richta app checkpointsystem was the Roads Scamper DivisionalTour RoadRally on June 9, also in Madison,Wis.,” Crittenden continues. “Being thecompanion rally to the Roads ScholarNational Course Rally in Madison, RoadsScamper was host to the top RoadRallycompetitors in the country. Roads Scamper’s125-mile rally course featured a totalof 113 timing checkpoints. There wereno checkpoint workers; all timing wasdone automatically by the contestants’smartphones running the Richta app.”Crittenden, notes, however, that thereare a number of important points worthconsidering before following suit. First ofall, understand that racing has alreadygone from clipboards and stopwatches totransponders. This app is working the sameway as the transponder. Secondly, “Don’tsuggest manned controls are obsolete,”he says, pointing out that the app is reallya supplement to that method of scoring.

In Wisconsin, four or five crews are usually
available. What is even more important is that
now Regions with fewer members, or Regions
just getting into RoadRally, have a great way
to participate, especially for Tour rallies.

Finally, there are now “dozens of checkpoint
opportunities,” he points out. The tradition
passage controls can be used, but Crittenden
used three similar methods in locating them.

For “Marked Controls” identified in
the route instructions, Crittenden used
signs that included graphic references,
such as black-on-yellow directional arrow
signs. “Unmarked Controls” were used in
designated sections, and the phone rang
with the scores as you passed them. Finally,
“Wildcard Controls” were paper checkpoint
signs not identified in the route instructions.

The app also opens up new possibilities
such as the “long liner” events (routes
that don’t loop back on the themselves)
and multiple checkpoints (Crittenden
used 113 on the Divisional event).

Is this the future of RoadRally? Certainly,
smartphones aren’t going away, so it’s hard
to believe that RoadRally apps aren’t going
to get more popular. The traditional rally
may not disappear, but perhaps there’s
room for different rallies. Yes, some rallyists
may view this progression as inevitable,
and they may be right – time will tell.

AN APT APP

Smartphones and RoadRally combine to put a new twist on the traditional rally | WORDS & IMAGE Rick Beattie

AN APP FOR THAT

It was only a matter of time before
a cell phone app entered the
RoadRally scene – but don’t expect
it to make the events any easier.